Clam-shell bucket.



C. BERGHOEFER. GLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1911. 1,058,028, Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. BERGHOEFBR. CLAM SHELL BUCKET. APPLICATION mum NOV. 4, 1911 m 9H. NH 8H 08 m Am d em m e t a D I WOW $100 1 0%y5 G. BERGHOEFER.

CLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 4, 1911.

1 ,O58,028, Patented Apr. 8, L913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7 f fi l/r/m/mv o fi i wwmvaw: l f 4% C. BERGHOEFEB. CLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLICATION 111,21) 11017.4, 1911.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

4 SHEETSSHBET 4.

CHARLES BERGHOEFER, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CLAIM-SHELL B UCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November'4, 1911. Serial No. 658,488.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BERGHOEFER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clam- Shell Buckets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrhiption thereof.

y invention refers to carrier buckets of the clam-shell type and is particularly applicable to that form of clam-shell bucket patented by me November 26, 1905, No. 805,521.

The primar object of my invention is to provide a buc et that is simple, economical, efiicient and capable of being manipulated with an expenditure of minimum power in proportion to its load capacity.

Specific objects are to provide fulcrum oints for the swinging bucket sections so ocated that the load area of the bucket sections is approximately balanced; to provide lapped pairs of operating arms for the bucket sections, the opposite arms of each bucket section being linked together by a floating tie-rod, which floating tie-rod has sliding play within oppositely inclined slots of the pair of arms, whereby said bucket sections are held in their opened and closed positions, the tie-rod being disposed between the fulcrum points of the aforesaid bucketsections and adapted to rise and fall above and below an imaginary line intersecting their fulcrum points; to provide a bail-rod connection for the arms of one of the bucket sections; to provide an oscillator bail griplever the same being fulcrume about the axis of that bucket section which carries the bail, said grip-lever being provided with a snatch-dog, whereby the grip-lever and bail are connected and disconnected incidental to a closing or openin operation of the bucket sections; to' provi e a skeleton hanger for the bucket sections; to provide pulleys in connection with the hanger and free end of thegrip-lever in conjunction with an operating chain or cable whereby the bucketsections are controlled; to provide means for tripping the rip-lever snatchdog and auxilia means or holding the bucket sections in t eir closed position whereby they are held against tendency to sag open when loaded.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of arts as fully set forth hereinafter with re erence to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a clam-shell bucket in its closed position embodying the features of my invention, the section being indicated by lines 1-1 of Figs. t and 5; Flg. 2, a similar sectional view of the same shown in its open position; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the bucket with arts broken away and parts in section, t e view being shown with the bucket members in their closed position; Fig. 4, a cross'section of the clam-shell bucket, the section being indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 2, thebucket sections being shown in their open position; Fig. 5, a sectional plan view of the same, the section being indicated by line 55 of Fig.1; Fig. 6, a sectional elevation of a clam-shell bucket in accordance with my invention provided with a single bucket controlling and hoisting chain or cable, and Fig. 7, a detail cross-section indi- Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

cated by line 7-7 of Fig. 6, the section illustrating the connection between the pairs of bucket actuating arms com rising a stayrod provided with rollers or engagement with angular slots formed in said arms.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1, 1, represent bucket sections which are adapted to articulate at their'inner vertical and horizontal edges when closed to form a carrier of any predetermined load area. The bucket sections are pivotally mounted upon the ends of struts 2, 2, which struts constitute members of a hanger frame. The fulcrum points of the bucket sections are disposed approximately midway of the width of the same as shown, and adjacent to the upper edges of the side wall. 3 of said .buckets, wherebythe load area is approximately balanced, the bucket member 1 being suspended by pivot-bolts 4, while the bucket member 1 is suspended upon a rod 4 that extends crosswise of thehanger, being connected to the opposite struts 2. The struts 2 extend downward upon the inner faces of the side walls of the bucket sections and secured to the respective fulcrum bolt 4' and fulcrum rod 4 are actuating arms 5, 5', the same being also secured to the side walls of the bucketsections by stay-rods 6, 6, which stay-rods serve as braces for their respective bucket sections. The pair of actuating arms 5 are spaced inwardly from the bH.Cli;--Witll 3 by thimbles '7', 7, that are respectwel memn 1 upon the rod 4 and stay rod 6, whereby the said actuating arms 5 5 are adapted to overlap the actuating arms 5 of the opposite bucket-section. Each Fall of the lapped arms 5 and are provided with singularly disposed 31012819, 8, the same being inclined 111 opposite direetione liiounted in. these slate a floating tie- 1'(. d$),Whieh rod is lfidtlmlk'l at its ends fer the receptien of antifrictioi rollers 9, 9, that engage the slots, the said rollers being held apart by spacing thimbles 9", while the end rollers are held in position by suitable nuts, as best shown in Fig. '7 of the drawings. By this floating tie-red connection it will be observed. that when the bucket sections are in their" closed position said rod will rise to the highest point in each pair at slots and thus held the buckets from swinging open, the 7 at the same time permitting each lm 03i, ewtiuii ti describe an arc of a circle about its time incuieetal to an ieniiig move ment, whereby the flee ing tie-1 06; will drop to a position helmv ri-lfigini iiy horizontzii line intersecting the i'uhjzrum iieiqts if said bucket sections, in which position said tie rod will settle at the extreme opposite ends (it the sluts, as shown in Fig l Payticu lair attention is cslieii ii) thc V at that fleeting tie-red lflliilS i) 5) phi freely in their 5; an i when the if" ekei section 1 is posiii ly 0 1 it if! Ai'iIilSiYl hereafter tlecriheii) Um closingfm'ee of the oppesite bucket ion 1. is imparted thereto from said nmnmi bucket section threzigh the tiered.

The inner pair of firm-siting :U'tlh are vumiectetl by a limit-13ml 10 which lmiliml iii prei'itlmil for the imipe; 1 of epoiriting tlw hiiirlwt sections. l sely imiumcil tip m thi' red t an oscillatory grip-it 'QI ii. th same being forum; in sepn at; :svvt m, Wifih svvtinn: are i'minirwi l l)? ii tie-rmii f at, the Free tiitl wt tit !:'iip-ie\ei and ii semmil tie-1W1 if." intei'mviilizite of its fl'tt, mil and it 1min; mi" (1 -'-"ili:\ l("1. each of the ti l-wits living; pi iivighwl with e mcin l whereby rig 1h is zuhlwl to the .iwtied into i-iig w'eiiit-iii' with the 'i'i J'lijYOl' K S t ll which lever hirii n is Slightly lK l litii izp m its lewer mlgjw in term :i wait lm the I "i its PUifli (Pi ii mmhem'l carry iignei iiimw-rt-il in {0mm lem;

spindle 15 and from thence said cable passes downwardly and is connected to the outer edge of the positively closed bucket section 1. Hence it will be seen that when the bucket section 1 is positively closed that the cable connection to the opposite bucket section 1' will afford a positive means or connection between said sections, whereby they will be held closed. It is apparent that, while I have shown a cable to accomplish the above result that a chain connection may be substituted for said cable without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In the operation the bucket is lowered in its open position as shown in Fig. 2 by paying out the hoisting cable 24. allowing said bucket sections to settle upon the material to be loaded. In the open position as shown it will be observed that the grip-lever and its snatch-dog are -in locked engagement with the bail 10 and hence when the cables 2'1, 21, are wound upwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow heads, the grip arm will rotate upon the axis of swing of the bucket section 1, causing the same to dig into the material to be loaded with a shearing or rolling motion, this motion being imparted to the opposite bucket member through its operating arm and floating tierod connection. The buckets are thereafter closed, the parts assuming ,the position shown in Fig. 1. \Vhen the bucket is to be raised and conveyed to its point of discharge the slack in the cables 21, 21", is taken up by a suitable winding drum mechanism. After the bucket has reached its point of discharge the bell-crank lever arm 14 will be rocked and thus exert a tripping'movement upon the snatch-dog by its tail engagement with said bell-crank lever. The bail being thus released from the griplever, the load will cause the bucket members to swing about their points of suspension and open, whereby the load is discharged, the slight overbalanced weight of the operating arms being sufficient to hold the bucket sections in their open position until such time as they again rest upon the pile of material for reloading. The cables 21, 21 are then slacked off to permit the grip-arm to swing downward to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby the nose of the snatch-dog will pass over the bail in position to again close the bucket members under suitable manipulation of the cables.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that'by'providing a "rip-lever and snatchdog as shown with cab e connections that friction of the parts is reduced to a minimum, all gearing being dispensed with and that when the bucket sections are rocked about their fulcrum points, owing to their perfect balance, their effectiveness is increased, while at the same time the minimum of power is expended to close the same, the oscillatory or rolling motion due to the position of the axis of the bucket sections being particularly efficacious, whereby the buckets will dig smoothly into the material to be lifted.

Fig. 6 illustrates a form of bucket particularly designed for light duty wherein a single chain 24 is employed to operate both as a hoisting and bucket section controller, thus dispensing with one set of cables. In

this instance the chain or cable 24 passes downward and over a guide-pulley 25', thence under one face of sheave 18" and about one face of sheave 17 that is carried by the grip-lever 11, from which point the chain or cable passes up and over a second face of sheave 18". and is again returned over a second face of the sheave 17 The chain or cable 24 thus looped over the several sheaves, passes up and over'a guide pulley 25", the ends being under suitable sheave and drum control whereby said cable is manipulated to lower the bucket, close and raise the same, 111 an obvious manner.

I claim:

1. A bucket comprising a pair of bucket sections, a hanger frame, a pivotal connection between the hanger frame and each of the bucket sections, arms extending from ,the bucket sections adapted to overlap each other intermediate of their fulcrum points, the arms being provided with angularly disposed slots. a rod connection engageable with the arm slots, a bail connecting the arms of one of the bucket sections, a griplever having one end fulcrumed to the hanger frame, a snatch-dog carried by the lever for engagement with the bail, a cable in connection with the free end of the griplever, whereby the same is actuated, and a tripping mechanism for the snatch-dog.

2. A bucketcomprising a pair of bucket sections, a hanger frame, a pivotal connection between the hanger frame and each of the bucket sections, arms extending from the bucket sections adapted to overlap each other intermediate of their fulcrum points, the arms being provided with angularly disposed slots, a rod connection engageable with the arm slots, a bail connecting the arms of one of the bucket sections, a griplever having one end fulcrumed about the axis of that bucket section to which the bail end of the grip-lever a cable cocncciion be tween the sheaves whercliiy {he gri alsed and lowered, and tripping on .fi; 1*

.ried by said hanger frame ior the sonic-h dog.

A bucket c i n1prising a hanger frame bucket sections pivotally suspended from the hanger frame, nuns cxieiu'iing upwardly from the bucket sections adapted to overlap each other, the arms being provided with angnlarly disposed slots, :1 rod connection engageeble with the arm slots, a bail connecting the arms of one of the bucket sections, 21 grip-lever fulcruined to said hanger frame bail locking means carried by the gogrip-lever means for tripping the bail lock-- ing means, and means for raising and low ering the aforesaid grip-lever A bucket comprising a hanger frame having depending struts, bucket scciions pivotally suspended from the ends of said struts, tho pivots being disposed approximately midway of the load area of said bucket scctions,-wl1ereby they are approximately balanced, slotted arms extending upwardly from the bucket sections adapted to overlap each other, (he slots in the opposite arms being disposed at angles to each other, a floating tie-rod engageable with the slots, a bail connecting the arms of one of the bucket sections, grip-lever members mounted about the axis of that bucket section carrying the bail, the gri .:--lever members being connected, sheaves cnzricd an; the free ends oi? the gripicver members, other shesiv i-s carried by the hunger frame, a pair cabies havlng ends connected to the ranger irmnc ihc cables; being; passed about i i onic ii, A

bucket tions pivoially secured thereto,

bucket comprising a hanger frame-v arms c. ending from the bucket sections adapied to overlap each other. the arms being provided with ungulai'ly disposed slots, uv rod o'iinnection engageable with the arm slots, a bail conneciiug the arms of one of the bucket sections a gripping lever fulcrulned about the pivot point of that bucket section carrying the bail, locking means car-- ried by the grip-lever for engagement with the bail, means for releasing the bail lock ing means, and :i mine and sheave connection between said rip-lever and hunger frzn'ne, ohcreby the g; e-levcr is UkWlliiliC l incidental to movement of the aforesaid bucket sections in ii closing or opening; op-

eration.

In testimony that I claim the iiioregoing l have hereunto set i'ny hand. at it the county of Milwaukee and Si; consin in the presence of two with,

CHAR l'ili. S Bl: Bill i i f i ll if:

Witnesses J. M. E'rTcnnnmI,

WALTER L. Bnnononrnn. 

